Seasonal challenges of tropical bats in temperate zones.
Sci Rep
; 12(1): 16869, 2022 10 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36207354
ABSTRACT
To examine the challenges faced by free-ranging Rousettus aegyptiacus living at the northern edge of their distribution, we performed a retrospective analysis of 2196 clinical cases reported by a bat rescue NGO over a period of 36 months, from throughout Israel. All cases of injured bats were evaluated and categorized according to date, place, sex, age, and etiology of the morbidity. The data analysis revealed an increase in all types of morbidity during the wintertime, with more than two-fold the number of cases per week compared to in the summer, over three consecutive years. Moreover, we found that the number of abandoned pups peaked during spring and summer, when adult morbidity is minimal. We characterized two prominent types of previously undescribed morbidities in R. aegyptiacus. We also employed GPS tracking to monitor the movement and foraging of dozens of bats, and to examine the potential correlates of elevated winter morbidity. Our results suggest that it is mainly harsh weather that drives the observed winter morbidity, with food limitations playing a minor-role. We hypothesize that R. aegyptiacus, of tropical origin, is facing major seasonal survival difficulties near the northern edge of its distribution, probably limiting its spread further northwards still.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Quirópteros
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Sci Rep
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Israel